NONKINSENSE

Ya know it wasn't easy growing up in my hometown, especially in my old high school...Glory Days alright, don't let em pass you by, they understood where I was coming from, even less, back then...Except for maybe one or two, but, that's the way is was back then, when everybody around you was into Kiss and The Doobies...That's why, I enjoyed hanging around Big Pussy, Uncle Jun and Paulie Walnuts so much, they knew where I was coming from, kinda enjoyed sharing a laugh or two at Concerts, real ones, no lip synch, real players, real music and at Ballgames, real ones, real players, real stats, real power....Yeah, back then, it was me and my guitar, that Paulie first tuned and diagramed chord chart for Your Own Special Way and Lucky Man, I was gonna say Oh Lucky Man, used in British Film of the same title, but, that's Alan Price not ELP, and this Jerry May Catcher's Mitt my Dad bought me at the Pushcart that Uncle Jun worked it in with me, all so I could be a bonafide Catcher, Kings Bay Little League....Anyway, those dreams did not totally happen like it was planned, but, thank you Paulie, and thank you Uncle Jun and thank you to their female friends who let me hang around with 'em too. Yeah, even they accepted me, had a laugh or two, if I was around, even if I did not play cards, but, tried to riff off Paulie for All day and night, even on line for the Rock n Roll Convention at the Hotel Diplomat, before giving up and going to see Time Bandits on a theatre a few blocks away....Yeah and this one female friend, her Birthday is today and I would be re-miss to forget it, 'cause, she even rented a car from the West side of Manhattan, one late afternoon and drove down with my brother and I to Red Bank, New Jersey to see John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band, back before it was John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band, before Eddie and The Cruisers hit big on HBO, it was just the Beavers in Red Bank, New Jersey at the Count Basie Theatre, at least, I think it was the Count Basie Theatre, I know it was a Theatre and I think there was some Benefit going on, anyway, all I know is that those guys were happy to see Fourth of July Asbury Park with an R instead of an S and my brother, greeted them like friends, even, greeted me with a Hey, howya doin' when I was introduced as Norris' brother...Kinda like when I first met the Drongos, from New Zealand and this from baseballlibrary.com ...

BORN TODAY: Jason Romano (1979); Kevin Hodges, Ryan Nye and Rob Ryan (1973); Charlie Mitchell (1962); Tom Klawitter (1958); Doug Jones (1957); George Vukovich (1956); Mike Bruhert and Ken Reitz (1951); Don Mincher (1938); Jim Campbell (1937); Charlie Dees (1935); Jack Banta (1925); Mel Hoderlein (1923); Al Gerheauser (1917); Buster Adams (1915); Hal Kelleher (1913); Rollie Hemsley (1907); Bobby Reeves (1904); George Harper (1892); Paul Musser (1889); Doc Cook (1886); John Kull (1882); Bill Hanlon (1876); John Katoll (1872); Billy Nash (1865) DEBUTED TODAY: John Lackey (2002); Jaret Wright (1997); Elmer Dessens (1996); John Ericks, Brian Givens, Sandy Martinez and Gregg Zaun (1995); Steve Cummings (1989); Ken Dowell (1987); Mike Stanley (1986); Jim Presley (1984); John Stefero and Curt Young (1983); Rickey Henderson (1979); Victor Cruz and Damaso Garcia (1978); Ken Singleton (1970); Jim Constable (1956); Sandy Koufax (1955); Brooks Lawrence (1954); Jim Bolger (1950); Mayo Smith (1945); Bob Savage (1942); Hal Finney (1931); Ray Schmandt (1915); Jack Lelivelt (1909); Doc Adkins (1902); Cowboy Jones (1898) also Happy Birthday to Murray the Cop, Al Molinaro and to Mick Fleetwood.